Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bands
by SoloWing
Summary: AU. Modern. Elseworlds-esque. The Fire Emblem 7 crew is reborn as a modern day indie band. This story follows the rise and fall of the Blazing Sword. Drama, excitement and love triangles included.
1. Prologue: On the Eve of Change

_**Author's Note:**_ I've had this idea drifting around in the back of my head for about a month, now (you can blame _Elseworlds,_ TvTropes and copious amounts of caffeine for inspiring it). Thus, I've decided to do something with it. This fic is designed to tackle the question: What if, instead of existing in a fantasy setting, the _Blazing Sword _cast existed in the modern day as an indie band?

_Prologue: On the Eve of Change_

The car door closed with a _crunch._ Lyn secured her footing and then turned to give a smile and a half-wave of departing to her friend. Florina smiled back and then turned her attention to easing back into the flow of traffic. Lyn watched Florina's ice-blue car move forward and vanished at the end of the snow-covered lane.

She turned away from the city streets and began working her way across the icy sidewalks. The winter had been harsh this year and that made navigating anywhere- whether by car or foot- a chore.

As she walked, her gaze turned upward toward her place of employment. Most people dismissed it as a hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pop organization, but Lyn knew better. Mr. Robert Pherae really cared about the place and was doing his best to make something of _The Trading Post._ It was a little place located on the forgotten side of town, but a simple glimpse would tell you that the building was well maintained. Between the red paint and the white trim it managed to look pretty decent.

Her hand met the smooth, metal doorknob and a burst of ice shot up her palm. Spurred by that jolt of cold, Lyn threw her weight against the door, opened it, and moved inside as quick as she was able. A smooth twist and a flick of her wrist slid the door closed- or so she had planned. In the face of her efforts, a blast of arctic wind slapped against the door and snapped it wide open. Lyn huffed and closed the door properly.

"Hello, Mr. Pherae." She called to the red-haired man behind the counter. All the while she moved to stash her belongings in the stockroom and don her work apron.

"Hello, Lyndis." Robert Pherae welcomed her in return. "How's your grandfather doing today?"

A frown passed over Lyn's features at the question. She paused in her efforts get situated and glanced at her employer. The answer to his question wasn't one that she liked: "He's struggling a bit. The cold air isn't good for him."

"Ah." The older man said. "I wish him well, then. With any luck, this winter will blow over soon. 'least that's what the weatherman says and we all know how accurate they are."

"Tell me about it. I'm just glad that Florina's schedule matches up with mine so well. Otherwise I'd be slogging through this mess to get anywhere."

"Aye. It's not doing business any favors either; as cold as it is, I'm expecting business to be on the slow side, today." Mr. Pherae said slowly. He then turned and gave Lyn a small helpless shrug. "Well, now that you're here I'll leave the counter to you. If you need anything I'll be in the back giving Lowen some more lessons on food preparation."

"Alright." Lyn replied with a nod. "Best of luck."

"With Lowen, I may not need it. That boy is showing a lot of promise." With that, Mr. Pherae left for the back kitchen, leaving Lyn to her own devices.

Mr. Pherae's prediction proved to be true. For the bulk of the morning, Lyn was left to her secondary tasks as there were few tables in need of waiting. Silverware was polished and floors were mopped. Mr. Pherae preferred to decorate _The Trading Post_ with framed pictures and paintings and thus Lyn turned her attention to dusting and cleaning those frames in order to pass the time.

Not even the lunch rush proved to be much of a rush but more of a series of stragglers passing through on their own time- if that. Lyn took care of each customer as they appeared and left. Overall, however, it seemed like the day was destined to be more of a loss than profit.

As the end of her shift neared, the cafe's front door opened. Lyn glanced up from her work behind the counter to find two men stepping into the shop. Both were tall and well-built of similar stature. One sported a head of reddish-orange hair and held a seriousness in his eyes that spoke of discipline. The other had a much more relaxed posture and messy dishwater brown hair tied back in a bandanna.

The two men moved across the dining area and selected a table by the far wall. Upon their arrival, the blond one whispered something to his companion. The redhead returned the whisper with a sharp look, to which the blond threw up his hands in an appeasing gesture and donned an apologetic grin. The red-haired man then seated himself at a table while the blond one slipped off to the washroom.

The two couldn't be more different if they tried, Lyn decided.

She gave the new customer a moment to get situation, palmed a set of menus, and then approached him. She put on her best hostess' smile as she entered speaking range and broached some conversation to get the ball rolling on their coming exchange.

Her speech began with practiced ease while she placed the menus on the table. "Hi, Welcome to _The Trading Post_ and-" Lyn broke off as a strange look appeared on the man's face. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yes, I..." The man. He deftly shook his head as though clearing away some stray thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. You look familiar to me for some reason, I just can't quite place why."

Lyn frowned in thought. His claim wasn't completely unreasonable, but she couldn't say that the feeling was mutual. There wasn't much, if anything, about this man to which she was acquainted. He had to be mistaking her for someone or something else.

"Ah. It's alright." She tried to smooth over the awkward bump in the conversation. "I get that from time to time. So, can I get you and your friend any-"

"Hey- no fair, Kent!" A boisterous voice entered the conversation. "I saw her first!"

The hostess' smile vanished, to be replaced by a disapproving frown, as Lyn turned to glare in the direction of the washrooms. The dishwater-blond man had returned. He was now sporting a lazy smile and the bearing of someone enjoying a good joke.

"I go away for one minute and you're already chatting it up with the chicks. I didn't think you had it in you." The blond man laughed. "So, did you get to first base yet?"

"Sain- you-" The redhead's voice faltered. Lyn was mildly pleased to note that his face was rapidly turning the color of his hair. The rest of her was frustrated over the whole situation. "That's not-!"

"I know, I know. I'm just razzing you. No reason to get all worked up." Sain replied with a teasing tilt. He moved across the room and dropped into his chair; his head then turned to look up at Lyn. "So, gorgeous, seeing as how this place is mostly empty and there's nothing else to do, maybe you could join a couple of young eligible bachelors for dinner?"

"If there were any here, I might consider it." Lyn replied with perfect deadpan. She plucked a notepad from an apron pocket and became all business. "What can I get you two?"

"I'll have a double cheeseburger and, knowing Kent, he'll have a grilled chicken sandwich. Top that off with two Cokes and we'll call it good." Sain's reply came with a practiced ease, indicating that the present situation was by no means unfamiliar to him. That alone told Lyn volumes.

"Gotcha. It'll be right up." Lyn, for her part, just opted to walk away from it all.

She crossed the room and slipped through the back kitchen door, bringing her face to face with Mr. Pherae and Lowen. Lowen was an interesting kid. While his hair was in order, it was so overgrown Lyn often found herself wondering how the guy managed to see anything. He was evidently good in the kitchen, however, and Mr. Pherae was constantly giving him advice and guidance on the path to becoming a chef.

Mr. Pherae looked up to greet her. A slight case of worry lined his face.

"There's a pretty big storm heading our direction. I just heard on the radio that they're shutting the university down early and preparing to close the roads, so I'm going to follow suit and shut down early tonight. You'd best make some calls and find out how you're getting home." He said.

"Thanks, I'll call Florina as soon as I'm done here, but there are two men out front that just ordered."

"Alright, soon as they're gone we'll be gone."

Lyn left the order in Mr. Pherae's capable hands and then moved back out front to start closing up the little cafe. The last thing that they needed was for more people to arrive at this particularly wrong moment. She risked a glance at the sky... it was definitely on the darker side of pleasant. That did not bode well.

Fortunately, things worked in her favor. With the last of her classes canceled for the evening, Florina was able to leave the school early. She arrived shortly after Kent and Sain had left. Lyn bid Mr. Pherae and Lowen a quick farewell, gathered her things, and left the closed cafe for the relative safety of Florina's car.

"Hi." Florina gave her friend an awkward smile. "How was work?"

"Very slow. That's about the whole of it." Lyn punctuated that sentence with a weary sigh. "If business stays this slow, I'm not sure how long Mr. Pherae can stay in the black. It's hard for an independent restaurant, you know."

"I know... but he'll manage. He always does."

For her part, Florina turned her attention to managing her driving. The sky was getting blacker by the second; it even managed to feel threatening.

A quiet silence settled between the two as the vehicle made its way out of town and into the suburbs. Occasionally an observation or a joke would pass between them, but for the most part Lyn and Florina just watched the roads and skies with unease. They had a ways to travel and each hoped that the snowstorm would hold off until their trip had ended.

Such was not to be. What began as a few flurries soon turned into a blanket of falling white. Lyn noted with some displeasure that the falling flakes were thick and wet- a slushy snow- the sort that became slick and mushy when pressure was applied to them. The car coasted for a second and then lost speed as Florina let off the gas pedal. Visibility became poor.

Mercifully, traffic was light save for the occasional hotshot. Lyn fired a disapproving frown at those who refused to slow down in the face of the onslaught. A large part of her wondered how anyone could be so reckless. It was baffling.

Several long minutes passed and then Florina brought the car to a gentle stop before a quaint little house. It wasn't much, but to Lyn it was home. She felt herself relax and gave her companion a welcoming smile.

"Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome." Florina replied. There was a nervousness in her voice that indicated her unease. "Just be careful going in."

Lyn nodded her agreement. "I will... and can you call me when you get home? I'd like to know that you made it in safely."

"Sure."

"Alright, I'm not going to hold you up on a night like this. I'll see you."

Lyn twisted the doorknob, popped the door open, and admitted a draft of chilling air. She grimaced, jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut once again. After giving Florina a half-wave, her attention turned toward navigating the icy walk and getting inside her little place. As quick as she was able, Lyn fumbled through her keys, undid the lock, and moved inside the house

The door was quickly shut in the face of the storm; Lyn dropped against it wearily. She hadn't liked storms in years... not since... But that was the past. Now she needed to live the present. As she pulled off her coat and gloves, a loud meow yanked her from her thoughts.

"Hi, Mark." Lyn waved to the white and brown cat. "Did you miss me?"

Mark, sitting upright on an end table, looked at her with wide eyes. A growl/purr combination left his throat and then he bolted off of his perch and disappeared down the hallway. The storm must have had him on edge. She'd probably find him huddled underneath a bed or something a little bit later. He was finicky that way.

Lyn shook her head and moved to put her coat and hat in the closet. As soon as she could get her things deposited she needed to check on her grandfather. It was early enough for him to still be asleep, his medication had that effect on him, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She moved past the living room couch and into the hallway. Once there she peeked in on her grandfather's room. He was leaning back in his recliner; his chest was rising and falling rhythmically. Lyn nodded. All looked well there.

There wasn't much else to be done but retreat to the front room. If nothing else, Lyn decided, they were probably in for a rather quiet evening.

Looking back on this event years later, Lyn would find it humorous just how wrong that assessment really was. For this one night was to be anything but ordinary.

_End Prologue_


	2. Chapter 1: Drought of Good Fortune

**Author's Note:  
>` Re:Kitten Kisses: *edits away the typos* Ha! Now no one will ever know that I mistyped- ... drat.<strong>

_Chapter 1: Drought of Good Fortue_

"Okay. This storm _must_ be bad." Sain noted. "Cell's non-existent."

"That's... not really surprising." Kent replied- not daring to take his eyes from the road. He continued to navigate their truck through the slushy streets undeterred.

Sain pocketed the useless cell phone and turned to watch the scenery move past them; with the snow blanketing everything it was all a bit monotonous for his tastes. Wave after wave of snow fell from the sky in thick blankets. The houses and trees were covered with the stuff. As if that wasn't enough of a problem, a thick sheet of ice had begun to form as well.

Kent was doing a fine job of navigating the roads and driving safely in spite of the snowstorm, Sain noted. But then, that was pretty much expected. Kent knew every quirk of the vehicle and displayed a deftness and familiarity with the controls that only came with time. For quite some time now, Sain had been urging Kent to upgrade to a newer, sportier, model... he was beginning to be glad that Kent hadn't.

A few moments ticked by and then Sain straightened in his seat. Was that his imagination or... his eyes narrowed in an attempt to pierce through the storm's gloom. No. He definitely wasn't mistaken. The flickering of hazard lights was starting to break through the gloom. Judging from their position in the center of the lane someone had pulled, or skidded, off to the side and was parked on the shoulder.

He asked: "Kent, you see that?"

"I do."

The lights increased ever so slightly in intensity and then one of them winked out of existence. Sain's eyes burst open in surprise, a motion that was followed by an outburst of: "Kent!"

His companion had already let off the gas and turned the wheel to the side in a controlled bank. Something, someone big and brawny, had dissolved out of the powdery mist to stand before the car. In the figure's hand was a big red scarf that was twisting and turning through the air. The person was desperately trying to flag their attention.

The move had worked, albeit perhaps a bit too well. Kent attempted to keep the truck from fishtailing across the lanes and then attempted to slow down to a stop. He managed to bring the vehicle to rest on the road's shoulder several long feet past the stranded car. Thankfully, no one had been hurt in that little exercise.

"Whew... that was a trip and a half." Sain quipped in an effort to diffuse the tension. "That guy could go into business giving ghosts lessons on disappearing."

"Wearing a white coat in the middle of a snowstorm isn't the best of ideas, no." Kent shook his head; he then turned to glance out the back window. "Come on, let's go see what he needs."

Sain popped his door and let loose a hiss as the icy wind immediately chased all heat out of the cab. It would take quite a while to get the place all warm and cozy again. He dropped to the ground, noting the crunch and snap of frozen snow as he did so, and then began working his way back towards the stranded car. On the opposite side of the truck, Kent was doing the same.

The one being rescued turned out to be a big, brawny guy- the sort that looked like a stereotypical lumberjack. He waved at the two as they approached. Sain turned his eyes over the man's predicament and felt a sense of dread fill his chest. A woman was seated in the stranded car's passenger seat. Her head was resting lifelessly against the back of the seat.

"Hello!" The brawny man shouted over the storm.

Kent returned the greeting and then posed the question that was on their minds: "Do you need help?"

"Not me, exactly. But Natalie, m'wife, does." The big man gestured at his passenger. "We were headin' for home when some speed demon sideswiped us. I managed to keep us from goin' in the ditch but the car's dead, now."

Sain's attention drifted to the side of the car. He winced. The front driver's side fender and hood had been brutally crushed. Someone had definitely blindsided the car; the big man must have been fairly skilled to keep from being knocked right off the road. With the front bashed in like that, it was fairly obvious that the car wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

The big man continued: "Natalie needs help, though... she... she has a sickness. The storm's not doing her any favors. I can't leave her out here much longer."

Sain risked a glance at Kent. His companion was standing there with pursed limps and a face of consternation. He could understand his friend's hesitation. Their truck was only designed for two people. Packing four into the cab, one of whom was having some kind of physical attack, was neither safe nor legal. But, then, desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Let's get her out of the cold and into the truck, it's marginally warmer there." Kent rendered his decision. "I can't take you too far, but we'll stop at the next house we come to and try to borrow a phone. Maybe we can get some help your way."

The man's face visibly relaxed. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>At first, Lyn wasn't sure if she'd heard anything or no. She cast a quick glance over the kitchen area and frowned as nothing stood out as the source of the disturbance. The dishwasher was rumbling in the corner. The stove and range weren't running. The lights were still casting their glow about the area...<p>

Then came the realization that it wasn't anything in the kitchen that was making a ruckus. Something was pounding on the front door. It begged the question: "Who on earth would be out in a storm like this?"

Turning away from the kitchen area, Lyn moved through their little house towards the front door. As she stopped before the doorway, she risked a glance into the main room. Her grandfather was seated in his usual chair, by the window, and was peering through the blinds. A look of concerned was draped upon his features.

He noticed Lyn's presence and then explained. "It looks like someone's truck has stalled..."

Lyn nodded and then unfastened the latch and twisted the doorknob. The wind did the rest of the work as slushy air slapped at the door and knocked it open. She snatched the door before it could rebound into the back wall and then turned her eyes towards the person on the other side of the screen door.

It took her a moment to attach any recognition to the man. When the afternoon's events came crashing back to her, she almost slammed the door in his face despite the howling wind's efforts to the contrary. It was the red-haired man from earlier at _The Trading Post_. From the look of him, he recognized her as well.

"Ah..." Kent stuttered for a moment before partially regaining his composure. "Excuse me, but... could we borrow your phone for a moment? We need to phone an ambulance, this man's, ah, wife has taken to a bad time."

Lyn realized that there was another man standing next to the redhead. Immediately she wondered how she could have missed him. He was as big as an ox and looked about as strong. She turned her attention past the two men towards the truck idling in the driveway. There were two other figures in the truck's cab that could just barely be seen through the snow. If one was that sandy-haired fellow from earlier, then the other was probably the aforementioned wife.

"I'd have used our cell phone to call for help, but there's no reception." Kent snagged her voice once again. Lyn turned her gaze to the contraption in the man's hand. The screen flashed with a simple message: _No service_.

"Alright. You had best bring her inside where it's warm." Lyn unlocked the screen door, for all of the good that it would have done, and pushed it open. "You can use the land line in the kitchen to call for help."

A relieved smile of appreciation passed over the big man's features. He gave her a heartfelt 'thank you' before turning to race back to the truck. Lyn stepped back as Kent entered the front walkway.

The first words out of his mouth were: "I want to apologize for Sain's behavior this afternoon. He was out of line; there's no contesting that."

"I'm glad that one of you understands that. I can give him a second chance under the circumstances- but he'd better behave while he's here." Lyn allowed her voice to soften- slightly. This one, Kent, seemed to be the more honorable of the two. She found it easier to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I think he will. He knows all too well how serious this is." There was something in Kent's voice that spoke of absolute certainty, like there was a story behind the remark, but Lyn decided it prudent not to ask about it.

Speak of the devil, the big man and Sain appeared in the doorway. Between them they carried a visibly smaller woman whose eyes were closed and whose skin was convulsing. A pang of sympathy and guilt spread through Lyn's system. They hadn't been lying.

They looked at her and so she began to direct them.

"You can put her on the couch in there. There's some blankets that you can use as well."

The men moved past her and Kent left in the opposite direction towards the phone. Lyn left him to his own devices and turned to follow after the two men and the woman. As she crossed the threshold into the living room, she was taken completely off guard as an audible gasp came from her grandfather.

"Natalie?" He asked. "Is that really her?"

Had he been in better help, Lyn knew that he would been at the woman's side in an instant. But he wasn't in good health any more. All that her grandfather could do was stare across the room in shock and amazement at this turn of events.

The big man, having just finished draping a blanket over his wife, turned to her grandfather with a surprised look.

"You know her?" He asked.

"We both go to the same hospital for treatment, usually about the same time." Grandfather explained. "After spending a fair amount of time in the same reception area we began to use the time to visit. You must be Dorcas. I've heard a fair amount about you."

"Aye. That's me." The newly christened Dorcas nodded slowly. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Caelin."

Lyn, for her part, was slightly taken aback at the coincidence of it all. It was hard to believe that so many people with so many connections could be brought together by random chance. But such was exactly what had happened. This was the sort of thing that gave mathematicians nightmares.

Kent chose that moment to re-appear from the kitchen. Upon receiving an expectant look from Dorcas, he gave a quick report of the overall situation: "They're going to send someone out to help, but with the storm and roads it will probably be a while before anyone can reach us."

A wince passed over Lyn's mind. She had suspected that things would not be easy for Dorcas and Natalie, but had wanted to believe otherwise. Whatever good fortune that had seen fit to bring them together must have dried up by now, leaving them firmly placed in the grip of reality.

"If only we could afford that operation." Dorcas grunted. "Then Natalie wouldn't have to suffer like this."

A great weight began to gather over those present only for Sain to break it. The sandy-haired man coughed, loudly, to seize everyone's attention. Then he donned an all too sunny smile that contrasted a little too greatly with the overall situation.

"Moping around isn't going to do us any good, and its certainly not going to help Natalie any. We need to lift her spirits and give her encouragement." He said.

Lyn handed Sain an incredulous look. Grandfather Caelin gave a small nod of approval.

"He has a point." Mr. Caelin replied. "A heavy atmosphere won't help us at all. Furthermore, you are our guests; it's only right that we entertain you. Lyndis, why don't you play something for them?"

"Grandfather," Lyn had to check to make certain that she was hearing correctly. Somehow, the notion didn't seem fitting given the circumstances. "are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I've learned a few things in my years that your fancy doctors don't. Go ahead. It will help."

She nodded and then vanished from the room. Lyn re-entered moments later with a well-used guitar in one hand. She slid the guitar strap over one shoulder and began a quick warm-up exercise. As she did so, her eyes turned over those present. Kent was looking at her somewhat strangely. Sain was busy trying to cheer Dorcas and her grandfather was just looking at her with approval. The entire situation almost felt surreal.

Nevertheless, her course was set. Lyn put her mind to work and began putting notes together in sequence. Those notes were then bundled together into chords and then further put to rhythm. A slow folksong began to drift from the strings of her guitar and she began to relax and ease herself into the demonstration.

Whether it was because of Sain's comradeship or something else, Lyn wasn't entirely sure, but Dorcas didn't seem quite as distraught as he was moments ago. Everyone seemed to be calming down and Lyn began to realize that this hadn't been such a bad idea after all. It certainly seemed to be the opposite.

As the last notes of the song faded away, Kent snapped his fingers, breaking the spell.

"Now I remember why you're familiar." He said. "You were in the Elibe High talent contest."

Lyn nodded slowly and then spoke. "I was. I take it you attended EHS?"

"Both Sain and I attended there, yes. I don't think we were in classes together, but I've always remembered your part in the show." A sheepish grin passed over Kent's features. He did seem genuinely embarrassed. "I guess you made an impression."

"I guess so." She said with a shrug.

Not wishing to dwell on this any more than necessary, Lyn turned her fingers toward plucking out another song. When that was complete, she rolled into another. Time passed in this manner until the paramedics arrived and the long evening came to a close. Despite the general craziness of it all, Lyn would admit, many years later, that it was a nice one.

_End_


End file.
